Cleaning compound



Patented Nov. 26, 1929 UNITED- STATES PATENT, OFFICE SEYMOUR B. DEWEY, JR., OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS H- TAYLOB, OF

EAST MCKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA CLEANING COMPOUND No Drawing. a

This invenion relates to cleaning compounds and more particularly to compounds for cleaning floors, furniture, and the like.

An object of my invention is to provide a cleaning compound whereby grease and dirt may be effectively removed from floors, furniture and the like.

Another object of this invention is to provide an eflicacious cleaning compound which is not injurious to the human skln and to articles being cleaned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a mild liquid soap having valuable detergent and germicidal properties.

A further object ofthe invention is to provide a soap which is readily miscible with water to form smooth soap solutions of any desired concentration.

Another object of the invention is to provide a compound for cleaning linoleum, rubber, or marble, or surfaces coated with paint or varnish, without disadvantageously affecting said surfaces.

Other objects of my invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of it hereinafter given.

One embodiment f my lnvention contemplates a liquid soap emulsion of substantially neutral character having, however, valuable detergent and germicidal properties. Such soap is preferably miscible in all proportions of water to provide soap solutions of any desired strength.

The preferred form of my soap is prepared from linseed oil saponified with potassium hydroxide. Castor oil may also be present in saponified form in the potash soap to add thereto detergent, solvent, preservative and germicidal properties. Unsaponified castor oil may also be advantageously present to provide a very thin film of oil to the surface being cleaned.

By the use of potash, or potassium hydrox-- ide, as a saponifying agent, I have found that the soap produced is of a very smooth and even consistency and is readily miscible with water in all proportions to form a smooth soap solution. In these respects, therefore, I a e found the use f potassium hydroxide Application filed November 19, 1926. Serial No. 149,583.

greatly superior to sodium hydroxide or other alkalis for the purpose of saponification.

' As mixtures of soaps, oils and water are very complex as to their phase relationships, the same mixture tending to change in this respect according to its treatment, the term solution is to be taken as any mixture herein disclosed whether its physical state be that of a single phase or a more or less colloidal suspension or solution in which more than one phase exists.

Linseed oil is advantageous in that it. reacts readily with the saponifying agent to form a smooth soap having excellent detergent qualities. While cotton seed oil might in certain cases be employed in place of linseed oil, I greatly prefer linseed oil as the main ingredient of. my soa Castor oil in its saponi ed condition imparts not only detergentqualities to the soap, but also extremely valuable preservative and germicidal properties. Thus, it is now known that castor oil soa has a higher germicidal value than carbohc acid. The amount of saponified castor oil in the soap will, of course, depend on the characteristics desired in the finished soap. Unsaponified castor oil may be present in the soap to advantage, whereby an extremely thin film of oil may remain on the surface to becleaned. This feature is particularly desirable, when the soap is used, for example, in, cleaning articles where an excellent finish is desired, such as, fine woodwork, furniture and even some kinds of floors. Castor oil is particularly advantageous for this purpose for the reason that it has the property of spreading into a thin film and has a high degree of adhesion so that an extremely thin film of oil coats the surface being cleaned.

I prefer 1n the manufacture of mysoap to permit any glycerin formed to remain in the viously heated with water. Preferably to four parts of linseed oil I use one part of solid KOH of 85 percent purity and about one percent of castor oil. The KOH is dissolved in water and the solution is added in successive increments to the heated oil and water until the saponification is practically complete. However, if it be desired to have the soap solution more germicidal or to have more un= saponified castor oil in emulsion, more castor oil may be used and this percentage may be as great as from five to ten percent, and by controlling the amount of potassium hydroxide used such castor oil may be completely saponified or partially saponified, leaving the balance as an unsaponified emulsion of castor oil. A very small quantity of pine oil or sassafras oil may be used to give the desired odor. Sufiicient potassium hydroxide is used to give a slight excess of alkali to the mixture. Castor oil is preferably incorporated in the soap solution and the amounts of caustic and oils are so regulated that the saponified product will be substantially neutral in character, thus avoiding the presence of free caustic in the soap. In my present preferred form of soap, some unsaponified castor oil is present. This may be accomplished by the addition of castor oil to the soap after the saponification reaction, or an amount of castor oil may initially be added in excess of that required to completely react with the caustic present. The presence of free or unsaponified castor oil may be noted by a metallic sheen imparted thereby to the soap, thus affording a convenient and accurate means of deitermining the presence of said free castor o1 It will furthermore be noted that I prefer to permit any glycerin formed during the saponification to remain in the soap. As has been previously mentioned, the presence of glycerin is advantageous when the soap comes in contact with the human skin.

It Will also be noted that pine oil or sassafras oil or any other suitable oils to provide the desired odor to the resulting soap may be used. If pine oil is used it also adds to the cleaning properties of the soap compound.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an emulsified soap having advantageous detergent and germicidal properties and which soap may be readily and economically prepared.

It will also be understood that if desired the cleaning compound may be sufiiciently concentrated to form a very viscous material, such as a paste or jell, and this paste or jell is also readily miscible with water. If the compound is concentrated to the paste or jell form, it, of course, contains less water and can be readlly shipped in this concentrated form with a savmg in transportation cost,

I and also is less subject to freezing in shipment. It may be desirable, for certain purposes, to use the compound in the paste or jell form.

It will be understood that certain ingredients mentioned above may be omitted from my improved soap While yet retaining many of the advantages of my invention.

Furthermore, it is to be understood that the particular compounds disclosed, and the procedure set forth, are presented for purposes of explanation and illustration and that various equivalents can be used and modifications of said procedure can be made without departing from my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cleaning compound consisting of potassium linseed oil soap and unsaponified castor oil, said castor oil being emulsified With said soap to form a substantially homogeneous mixture.

2. A cleaning compound consisting of approximately four parts linseed oil, ap-

and approximately one percent castor oil, substantially all of said linseed oil being in combined form with said potassium hydroxide as potassium linseed oil soap, any excess potassium hydroxide being in com bined form with a portion of said castor oil as potassium castor oil soap.

3. A cleaning compound consisting of potassium linseed oil soap, potassium castor oil soap, and unsaponified emulsified castor oil.

4. A cleaning compound consisting of a smooth solution of potassium linseed oil soap, and an appreciable amount not over five percent of unsaponified emulsified castor oil, sa d compound containing also glycerine in amount substantially equal to that formed by the saponification of the linseed oil content of the compound with potassium hydroxide, said solution being a thick liquid and readlly miscible with water in all proportions.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

SEYMOUR B. DEWEY, JR. 

